DAS RENN TREFFEN : 2017

Another year has passed, and another “race meet” has occurred. Das Renn Treffen 2017 was even bigger than in previous years. We’re glad we’re able to be so close to such a massive turnout of Porsche love. Once again, the crew was out in full force to capture the experience and share it here with all of you.

As usual, I arrived very early – 5:30am to be exact. I had to leave at noon for another appointment, so I wanted to maximize my time with these German lovelies. Since I was there before the sun (and pretty much anybody else), I was able to get a prime parking spot right at the participant entrance. This was perfect because it meant I wouldn’t have to lug my camera bag around; I could just leave it in the truck and get what I need while in the vicinity.

I walked down Sunset Drive towards the entrance of The Shops at Sunset to see what was going on. As I approached, I heard the rumbling of multiple flat sixes echoing down the street. I quickened my pace and managed to watch a Singer-led caravan of Porsches pulling in through the mall’s main road.

Once the caravan came to rest, I was able to get a good look at how the day was shaping up. The Parkhaus1 team, once again, outdid themselves. I had only been there for about fifteen minutes, and the cars coming in were just amazing! With all the keys having been handed off, drivers hopped in the tow truck and headed back for more.

I took this opportunity to get a few more shots of the cars, and then head back to the main entrance to see if there was any activity. Sure enough, there was! The rest of the Parkhaus team were setting up the sign-in table and preparing the goodie bags for entrants.

The Sign Savers were putting the final touches on the entrance truss and laying out the red carpet. Everyone was bustling along getting it done. Last year, I didn’t arrive as early, so it was nice to catch the behind-the-scenes with all the hard work put in for the event.

Cars (and the sun) started showing up. It was about 6:30am at this point, and I was still solo waiting for Charlton and Brendon to arrive.Thankfully, with the cars trickling in, I was able to manage moving from place to place.

I had a feeling it had been long enough for more Parkhaus cars to show up, so I headed back to the mall entrance. On the way, I caught Al of Parkhaus looking over the show layout. He looked busy, so I figured I’d just talk to him later.

Back at the mall, it seemed the Parkhaus team had been busy. There was a slew of new lovelies to oogle. I worked around the stores, and since it was still very early, I was able to get the new additions with more light and different angles.

The mall has a second floor with walkways criss-crossing the street below, which worked out perfectly for high angle shots. The Edison bulb light strands also help add a nice depth element.

Once I was satisfied with my shots, I headed back to the entrance. Things were picking up! The line of cars was starting to reach the end of the street, and more cars were coming down the back street – SW 73rd.

All of this was good because the sun was still rising, and the cars were heading west, so here comes some golden-hour-goodness.

First car in: Guards Red Outlaw 911, owned by @theprogeniteur. We were awestruck by this beauty at the first DRT. It was already parked, so we didn’t get to hear its beautiful exhaust note. This is why it always pays to get there early.

Now that Charlton and Brendon had arrived, we could split up and cover more ground. I had an idea I wanted to try while they handled the cars that were coming in, and at this point, they were definitely coming in!

I ventured out to Red Road, which is a straight shot down to 72nd where all the cars were entering. I positioned myself on the opposite side of the street, and faced west, so I could catch some of the cars coming in at speed. It’s so rewarding when a plan falls together. Just as I was getting into a groove, I saw @sunealn come rolling in.

I managed to catch a bunch of cars – yes, even the ones that weren’t being driven. The Collection was nearby, and they were transporting their show pieces over.

Just as I was finishing up to head back to the main area, I caught this Martini Racing 918 coming down Red Road. I’m so glad I hadn’t left earlier!

I stuck around a little bit longer and bumped into the Parkhaus transporter. He asked, “What about my truck? Why no pics?” I told him, “Don’t worry, I got you covered. Just give it some gas as you go towards US-1 on Red Road.” I think he’ll be pleased.

I headed through the mall to rejoin the crew. Charlton and Brendon had been busy. Sunset Drive was getting packed with cars and vendor spots. Charlton also found that the second floor provided some great views of a whole new lineup of cars parked in the mall street.

I went back to 73rd street to see where all the cars were that I was getting pan shots of. That’s when I bumped into our buddy @neilramcharitar and his silver 993. His car is always looking good, and clearly, you can see why here. Just weeks prior, his car was featured on Speedhunters shot by the illustrious Larry Chen. I think Neil was still in disbelief. I know I would be.

Working down the line of cars and crossing over the entrance, street cars were coming in from both directions! That’s when I spotted our buddy @turboralph in Yukinohana waiting patiently to get into the show. His car was built the Monday following DRT last year . Thankfully, we were able to document the build of one of my favorite RWBs. I still have photos from that week, which have yet to see the light of day!

Back on Sunset Drive, I found another RWB lurking.

Straight from Atlanta #ichibanboshi complete with Martini livery. We caught this build at SEMA last year at the Turbo by Garrett booth. It was nice to hear it roaring through the streets.

Moving back to the entrance of the mall, there was a small collection of Speedsters on display. Last year, there were classic race cars in this location, and it was nice to see the tradition continued with more classic vehicles taking the spotlight.

We continued along the mall road to stop by Bruce’s collection. This year he didn’t unload the whole collection, but we were still glad to see the insane amount of time and effort that he has put in to display even just part of it. Even after seeing last year’s full blown display, this year still felt immense.

Of course, after last year’s guest appearance, DRT wouldn’t be complete without Magnus Walker being there. We caught him on our way out while he was talking with some fans.

As we walked towards our cars, we were looking for Al to thank him and say our goodbyes. He emerged from the crowd, and we were able to part ways with big smiles and gratitude. Another job well done.